20 Cars New Drivers Definitely Shouldn't Buy

It's exciting to get your driver's license. The best part might be dreaming about that ideal first car. But not all cars are smart first cars. Some cars just aren't for beginners... or for over-excited people with very little road experience. Conversely, cheap isn't always the best option, either, because you may sacrifice safety and reliability. Here are some of the worst, according to you.

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Mathieu Heurtault

Porsche 550 Spyder

Porsche 550 Spyder replicas are simple, relatively affordable, easy to work on, and incredibly fun to drive. But they offer zero safety measures, and absolutely no creature comforts. Sure, it's a cool car, but you're better off with something more reasonable to learn how to drive.

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Dodge

Dodge Ram SRT-10

The SRT-10 Ram is basically a Viper in truck form, so you can understand why it wouldn't be best for first-time drivers. All that power going to the rear wheels with no weight over them? A recipe for disaster.

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DW Burnett/Puppyknuckles

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

Pretty much any Corvette wouldn't make for a good first car, but this is especially true with the new ZR1. Though it won our Performance Car of the Year award, having 755 horsepower and a massive wing out back easily disqualifies it as a smart choice for someone just starting their driving career.

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McLaren

McLaren 720S

If there's any car that makes going fast drama-free, it's the McLaren 720S. It can reach triple-digit speeds in under ten seconds without so much as a tire squeal. All that effortless power isn't something a new driver should have at their fingertips.

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R&T

Shelby Cobra

A replica Shelby Cobra might seem like a cool car, but having a massively powerful engine attached to such a small body has its drawbacks. Namely, it's a lot to handle for an inexperienced driver. Combined with the total lack of safety equipment, and you can see why sticking a new driver behind the wheel is a bad idea.

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Petrolicious

Porsche 930 Turbo

The earliest turbocharged 911s became famous for their tendency to snap oversteer mid-corner, earning the nickname "the widowmaker." Would you let a new driver behind the wheel of a car called the widowmaker? We thought not.

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Dodge

Dodge Challenger SRT Demon

If you know what the Demon is, you'll understand why it wouldn't be the best fit for a new driver. A street-legal drag car with racing slicks and 840 horsepower is too much cars for most people, much less an inexperienced motorist.

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Toyota

Toyota MR2 Turbo

Like the 930, early iterations of the second-gen MR2 were also prone to snap oversteer thanks to an extra-darty suspension setup. Add a turbocharger to the mix, and it's only a matter of time before an inexperienced driver spins one out.

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Dodge

Dodge Viper ACR

One look at the Viper ACR and you'll understand why it might not be the best fit for a new driver. It's basically a race car with a license plate, equipped with an 8.4-liter V10, a manual transmission, and more aero pieces than you can count.

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Porsche

Porsche Carrera GT

The Carrera GT's wonky clutch setup is just one of many reasons why it wouldn't be great for a newly licensed driver. With a naturally aspirated V10 behind the cabin,

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Hummer

Hummer H1

The Hummer may not be as quick as some of the other cars on this list, but it's just as hard to drive. With such a wide frame and so little visibility, a new driver is bound to hit something.

The Aveo was basically everything that was wrong with GM encased in a car. It felt cheap, was slow, and didn't have any particularly redeeming qualities. It also wasn't exactly the safest car on the road, all things that make it bad for a first driver. Thankfully, GM's newer small cars, the Spark and Sonic, make up for the Aveo in many ways.

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Ariel Atom

We know the chances of this are slim, but for the 0.0001 percent of the new drivers considering an Atom as their first car, we have one word for you: Don't. Besides having a ton of power, you also aren't easily seen when you're driving at Atom because it's so low to the ground. Oh, and you should wear a helmet when you drive it because it's basically a motorcycle. Not ideal.

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Daewoo Leganza

The Leganza is cheap, old, badly made, and unreliable. Which probably means that it costs more that it's worth to insure. In the IIHS safety rating, the Leganza was given an overall "poor" evaluation. No wonder Daewoo doesn't exist in America anymore.

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Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

The Shelby GT500's allure is its cheapness and its 662-hp output. That is more than enough for a lead-footed new driver to put sideways into a tree. Maybe just get a V6 Mustang and paint some stripes on it.

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Jaguar F-Type R Coupe

The F-Type's loud exhaust and sporty look will attract the attention of every cop in the neighborhood. It'll be expensive to insure, especially for a new driver. And don't let the AWD fool you into think that this car is idiot-proof: 550 hp is more than enough to get it sideways.

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Jeep

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon will have the new driver thinking all of a sudden that any kind of off-roading is fair game. Which it isn't.

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Porsche Cayman

For speed purposes, the Cayman isn't the fastest car you could buy. However, it is mid-engined, which sometimes makes handling a little trickier. Especially when snap-oversteer happens. A newer driver might not have enough experience to catch the car when this happens.

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Dodge

Dodge Caliber SRT4

The Dodge Caliber SRT4 was a poor replacement for the Neon SRT4. Where the Neon was light, nimble and fun, the Caliber was none of these things. But it kept the 300-hp four-cylinder and the car can be cheaply bought, used, by any high schooler. Mopar offered performance upgrades that could kick the power up to over 400 hp. And for a FWD car masquerading as a crossover, that was a bad idea.

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